Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), also called coachwhip, Jacob’s staff, or vine cactus, flowering spiny shrub characteristic of rocky deserts from western Texas to southern California and southward into Mexico. It is a member of the candlewood family (Fouquieriaceae), which belongs to the order Ericales. Near the plant’s base the stem divides into several slender, erect, widespreading, intensely spiny branches, usually about 2.5 to 6 metres (8 to 20 feet) long. The branches bear small, rounded leaves, which fall soon after the end of the winter rainy season, leaving behind the leaf stalks, which harden and develop into stout spines (see photograph). The bright scarlet flowers are in showy branched terminal clusters 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches) long. Ocotillo is grown as a hedge plant and occasional ornamental in its native range.
Alternative titles: coachwhip; Fouquieria splendens; Jacob’s staff; vine cactus
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